High Court upholds death sentence against 2 in Muheeth’s murder

High Court, this Tuesday, upheld the death sentence issued by Juvenile Court against two young men – minors at the time - for the murder of Abdul Muheeth.

Muheeth was stabbed to death as he was sitting atop a motorcycle at the alley in front of

Ministry of Finance at approximately 1:50 am, on February 19, 2012.

High Court upheld the death sentence against the two convicts in separate hearings held this Tuesday.

Judge Abdul Rauf Ibrahim – who read the verdict – said that though the men had requested court to re-open witness testimony, High Court found no reason why witness testimony should be re-opened.

And that it had been proven to court that the witness who requested to re-testify had been coerced into making the request.

Judge Rauf said witness testimony established that Muheeth was attacked by a group of individuals on five motorcycles – including the two whose death sentences were upheld.

He said that witnesses testified seeing one of those men stab Muheeth, and the other man joining in on the attack.

A damning phone call made by one of the men was submitted as evidence in the case.

Judge Rauf said that on the call, the man had confirmed the kill, following which the person on the other end of the call asked if he had hit Muheeth on the head to kill him.

During the phone call, the man mentioned the names of other individuals involved in the attack. And described how he stabbed Muheeth on the back of the head using a sharpened knife, and how part of his scalp had been torn off and how part of him brains came out.

Judge Rauf said the recording of the phone call had been sent to Malaysia for verification, and had been proved to be a match for one of the men whose death sentence was upheld.

Judge Rauf, Judge Abdulla Hameed and Judge Ali Sameer all agreed that the death sentence issued by Juvenile Court should be upheld.

Three more men – above the age of 18 years have also been charged in the murder. Criminal Court has not issued its sentence yet.